In many industrial food-processing operations, metering devices, such as valves, are routinely washed down with water and other cleaning solutions to maintain clean and sanitized equipment and surrounding environment. This routine wash-down may encourage or promote particulate matter or other contaminants to interfere with operational components of the metering device. The routine wash-down may involve high pressure sprays that drive or urge the particulate matter and contaminants into the metering device. Such particulate matter and contaminants may damage the metering device, cause the metering device to fail, or result in premature wear to the metering device.